Niagara Dragstrip, or what's left of it :(

NYSpeed Automotive
1

Every year I take a ride out to Niagara Dragstrip in Niagara Falls to check out what’s left of the track. It was the only 1/4 mile dragstrip that existed in WNY. It was shut down in 1974 :frowning:

Of course it gets worse every year. Hard to believe that I ran my Camaro (you heard it, ran, not pushed) there about 8 or 9 years ago.

I went there today after driving around the wineries with my wife. I didn’t get to hang out long because of even though the entry road being a public road, homeland security kicked in and they said we have to leave.

And an ironic part of this is that I saw Dean Johnson (he ran the track) last Wednesday at KS Cruise.

So here are some pics

Walking up to staging lanes and burnout pit (closest to AirBase property)

http://www.rodandpiston.com/db/upload/files/IMG_7370.JPG

http://www.rodandpiston.com/db/upload/files/IMG_7371.JPG

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Where bleachers use to be

http://www.rodandpiston.com/db/upload/files/IMG_7373.JPG

Burnout box and staging lanes

http://www.rodandpiston.com/db/upload/files/IMG_7374.JPG

http://www.rodandpiston.com/db/upload/files/IMG_7375.JPG

http://www.rodandpiston.com/db/upload/files/IMG_7376.JPG

Long view of the track from staging lane

http://www.rodandpiston.com/db/upload/files/IMG_7377.JPG

The tower (or whats left of it)

http://www.rodandpiston.com/db/upload/files/IMG_7379.JPG

http://www.rodandpiston.com/db/upload/files/IMG_7380.JPG

And some of the poor condition of what was the track :frowning:

http://www.rodandpiston.com/db/upload/files/IMG_7381.JPG

http://www.rodandpiston.com/db/upload/files/IMG_7382.JPG

http://www.rodandpiston.com/db/upload/files/IMG_7384.JPG

http://www.rodandpiston.com/db/upload/files/IMG_7386.JPG

http://www.rodandpiston.com/db/upload/files/IMG_7389.JPG

2

Yea we had a couple races couple years back there. Gota flat tire due to a cut fence pole sticking out of the ground.

3

Thats a shame

4

What a waste.

5

From whats been goin around there is a new track being built in syracuse or somewhere.

6

That doesn’t really help us.

Its a shame that they closed that track. I’d be nice to have a local 1/4 again.

7

Hey the track isnt in that bad of condition when you tihnk of some of the roads in wny :wink:

8

are you kissing me? NYIRP is a great track and it only takes about 30-45 min to get there. it is only a hour to 2 roadcourses. there are autoX’s all over the place… I think we are doing pretty good if you think about it.

9

Proof-reading = Friend

10

Yeah but its 10-15 minutes to the Falls. Thats all I’m saying. Closer is more convenient.

11

Last time I ran there was 1989. 4 of us spent an evening there. Both my mom and dad used to race a stock 57 Chevy there…

12

who owns it and would it ever be forsale?

13

man. Niagara falls is like a ghost town now. everything there is closed. i was there for a week at the Casino and you cant find an hsop anywhere. except for the giftshops of course. but everything surronding the casino is dead.
a list:
the water park
pizza hut
many many small stores
holiday inn
almost every single house is vacant
rainbow mall
and many more…

what happened? i believe Buffalo has the most Vacant houses in WNY.

i never knew that dragstrip was there though. does any one have an exact spot of where it is. i also wanna check this out.

14

This should work

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&q=niagara+falls+air+base&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=32.885543,59.238281&ie=UTF8&ll=43.115317,-78.956358&spn=0.007393,0.014462&t=h&z=16&om=1

Starts near Tuscarora and Kirsch area, ends near Haseley. If you go towards the end of the road at Tuscarora there will be some barriers. Walk past them and go straight.

I believed it is owned by the builder/farmer at the end of Haseley. It will NEVER reopen. They have tried. Too many houses around, too much noise, pollutants, etc… Go check it out for memories…

15

nice pics…so many relics in wny…

that drag strip, the insane asylum, central terminal, the cruise ship, the grain elevators, etc.

16

what a shame. I dont mind the drive to NYIRP but having a track within minutes would be great.

17

Too much noise next to the airport? To much pollution in Niagara Falls? Sounds like BS reasons from useless politicians.

18

wow. the drag strip looks huge on the map.

19

1/4 mile track, 1/4 mile shutdown and some more at the front of it.
Was fun to run it when I got the chance to. :slight_smile:

20

thats sad to look at. all the memories that must have been had there way back